Requited
by Tia-Lewise
Summary: Yuffie and Vincent have tiptoed around each other's affections for far too long. Now the battle against Omega is over and done with, it's time for them to turn over a new leaf and make the most of what they have. An oldie from my 2012 archives.
1. chapter 1

_So, I thought I'd have a nosey through the numerous fics I've written but never uploaded, and came across this one from July 2012. It's been a blast from the past, reading through some of my old stuff! I've only made some tweaks here and there, but otherwise, this is as true as I wrote it all those years back._

 _Obligatory disclaimer that I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its intellectual property - that honour goes to Square Enix._

* * *

They had all seen the battle between Chaos and Omega, seen the crumbling remains of the monstrous WEAPON as it died, seen the falling red sparks that had been Chaos- or rather, Vincent.

Though it was upsetting for the party to admit, they assumed he must have died. Nobody had heard from the quiet gunman in a week, and no trace of him could be found anywhere.

But despite their reservations, nobody gave up. Cid patrolled the skies in the _Shera_ with Tifa and Barret; Cloud and Nanaki scoured the land with the motorcycle Fenrir and Nanaki's keen nose; Reeve had his WRO scouts on lookout and patrolled anywhere they could be put safely. As a team leader within the WRO, Yuffie was part of this, and had been stationed around Midgar and Edge, where Vincent had last been. The day after the battle, Yuffie had clambered fervently up the ruined, rusting supports of Midgar to where she had seen the red sparks fall and fade. There, hooked on a broken bit of scaffolding, she had found the Cerberus charm that hung from the dirge of Vincent's pistol, also named Cerberus. Showing it to the party, this was what convinced them that he was gone.

But the one person that refused point-blank to lose hope was Shelke Rui, the former Tsviet, a young girl trapped in time, much like Vincent. Nineteen years old, in a body ten years younger, Shelke saw much of herself in Vincent, and had been struggling with the sudden change to normal life, and as such, Tifa had kindly let her stay and help out at her bar, to let her adjust at her own pace.

Currently, Tifa was out on her usual morning patrol of the skies, leaving Shelke on her own at Seventh Heaven. Figuring this was a good time to learn about day-to-day activities, the young girl cleaned the bar and attempted washing up, with rather disastrous results. _I will never get the hang of this,_ she thought bitterly. _Must it take so long to unlearn everything I was beaten into at Deepground?_

A voice floated in from the next room rather suddenly, which no longer surprised Shelke. The other members of the party often dropped by on the times they allowed themselves a break. "Anyone here?"

Shelke looked round the kitchen door. It was Yuffie, in her usual blue top and yellow shorts. She looked tired, and her hair was mussed up. "Good morning, Yuffie," Shelke said, wiping her hands on a tea towel.

"Hey there," the ninja replied, then did a double-take. "Shelke, you have soap suds all up yourself! What the hell have you been doing?"

"Washing up," the girl said meekly. "I am afraid I have lost my womanly touch."

"Honestly..." Yuffie breezed into the kitchen, and smirked at the sink, which was full to the brim with bubbles. "Never mind. I'm sure Tifa can show you later. Come on, let's get you upstairs and into something dry." She took a half-hearted Shelke into Marlene's room (she and Denzel were at school at present), where she began riffling through the seven year old's wardrobe. "Hmmm...ah, here we go. She kept saying it was far too big anyway."

Shelke blinked at the pale pink dress with cream collar Yuffie held out to her. "You mean for me to wear this?"

"Anything's better than that odd Mako suit you're wearing now. And it's soaked! Just put it on, okay?"

Shelke took it from Yuffie, noting her agitation. She had taken the loss of Vincent harder than the others, and could go from cheerful to irritated to upset and back to cheerful in less than a minute. "Ugh..." Yuffie ran a hand through her hair. "I'll be downstairs." She left the room, leaving Shelke to struggle out of her grey and blue jumpsuit and put on the dress, which actually fitted her quite well. She tugged at the collar, not used to such additions to clothing. _It will do,_ she thought to herself as she made her way back downstairs, _and I might look a little more normal in conventional dress._

Yuffie, sat on a bar stool and swinging her legs, gave a little smile as Shelke reappeared. "Suits you," she remarked.

"Thank you." Shelke sat on a stool also. "What are you doing here, Yuffie? What has brought you away from the search?"

The ninja sighed. "I just don't think he's here." She pulled the Cerberus charm out of her pocket and frowned at it. She had been holding onto it ever since she found it. "Me and the WRO guys who were stationed with me have scoured every single part of Midgar and Edge. Nothing! If he's anywhere, it's not in this vicinity."

"You look tired."

"I'm exhausted. It's alright for Cid and Tifa and Barret, they're all holed up in the airship, but I'm running around and working my ass off! And for what? For that damn vampire to _still_ be pulling his disappearing act!" Yuffie groaned, and put her head in her hands. "I don't know what to do..." she whispered.

Shelke felt as though she should comfort her, but had no idea how to go about it. Instead she asked quietly, "Do you need a drink? Tifa has been showing me how to mix them."

Yuffie lifted her head up. "I think I just need a coffee. Lots of sugar."

"I can do that." Sliding off her stool, Shelke went back into the kitchen, shaking her head at the mess she had made of the sink. She made a hot drink for Yuffie, and carried it back carefully. The ninja looked grateful as she passed it to her; in the few minutes Shelke had been in the kitchen Yuffie's eyes had taken on a red, sore look, as if she had been crying. "You do not look well, Yuffie," said Shelke. "Perhaps you need to rest. It is still early, after all, and we have many other people looking for Vincent."

"They don't even think he's alive," Yuffie muttered, warming her hands around her coffee. "But I _know_ he is. The Vince I know doesn't just up and skip away after a big fight like that. He's _immortal,_ for Leviathan's sake!"

The former Tsviet nodded. "I feel the same way, though I have not known him nearly as long as you." She pulled herself back onto her stool. "Tell me a little more about him, Yuffie. From what I have gathered you appear to have been the closest- no- _are_ the closest to him out of everyone."

Yuffie smiled gently at Shelke's correction. Though they had not gotten along at first, their occasional conversations had caused them to become gradual friends. She sipped her drink, closing her eyes for a moment. "How much do you know?"

"I know his name, age, chronological age, parts of his personality, and the information gathered from Lucrecia Crescent and Professor Hojo's files. I know nothing of what others think of him. It would be...nice to know."

"Ever the pedantic. You're just like him, you know." Yuffie put her drink down and crossed her legs, leaning an elbow on the bar. Her face took on an almost rapturous expression as she began to speak."He used to be so quiet...he'd never speak unless you pressed him to. But when he did, he'd have something really important to say. We were all really surprised when he chose to return and fight Sephiroth, since he was distant with all of us...well, most of us. By that time I'd known him a few weeks, and he used to sit with me at night. Didn't say much, but it was those times, when we talked, that I saw him smile...it would make his face just light up. He used to say I made him feel at ease, because I let him be himself, and I didn't ask anything of him." The ninja smiled at the memories.

"You speak of him very highly."

"Well, he's a real nice guy once you get past the deadpan looks and the silent treatment."

"...Tell me about what happened after Sephiroth was defeated."

At this, Yuffie frowned. "There's not a lot I can say on that one. Me and him were evacuating citizens in Midgar when everyone else defeated Sephiroth, and once they returned to pick us up he stayed for a day or two, then just took off, saying his work was done. I think he felt guilty knowing that Lucrecia's son was dead. I know he was just awful, but whatever Sephiroth was, he was still the offspring of the only woman Vince ever loved. He might have thought there was another way to handle everything. I don't know...it's hard to tell with him."

Shelke considered this. Everything Yuffie said sounded exactly like Vincent; it was as if she knew everything about him, or at the very least just had a very good memory. "How do you feel about this, Yuffie?" she asked the ninja. "With Vincent gone- or missing, should I say, how does that make you feel? For I know you care for him very much."

"I..." Yuffie bit her lip, and looked away from Shelke's earnest blue eyes and questioning expression. "I don't know..."

She took a hurried gulp of coffee and gasped as it burned her throat. She coughed for a moment before resuming. "The whole party, they mean the world to me, of course, but it's not the same. Vince was my best friend out of all of them, even if he was the silent, brooding one who wouldn't answer any of my questions. Whenever Cid called me a brat, Vince used to glare at him like he wanted to kill him." The young ninja rubbed her hands over her arms, as if shivering. "He hugged me once, you know."

Seeing Shelke raise an eyebrow in surprise, she chuckled. "Yeah, doesn't sound like him, does it? It was after we'd finished evacuating everyone from Midgar, and I'd dragged his ass off that damn cannon. I was pretty scared, to tell you the truth. Shit was falling down all round us and Meteor was getting closer all the while, and there were people screaming...it was awful. And he just held me, and whispered to me, "I won't let you go." At that moment...I felt like nothing could hurt me..." She sniffed, blinking back tears. "Now he's not here, I guess I feel pretty empty."

Shelke went round the bar and pulled out a pack of tissues, which she offered to Yuffie before sitting back down. The ninja dabbed her eyes, clutching the Cerberus charm so hard it dug grooves in her palm. Shelke reached out and carefully pried her fingers off it slightly so she wouldn't hurt herself. "...You love him," she said quietly.

Choking back a sob, Yuffie closed her tired eyes. "Yeah," she murmured.

That confirmation was all Shelke needed to hear. "In that case, we shall double our efforts to find him." Yuffie looked at her in surprise, then jumped as her mobile started to ring in her pocket. Fishing it out, she flipped it open, set it on loudspeaker so Shelke could hear also, and put it on the bar. "Hi, Tifa," she said, trying hard not to sound choked up.

"Hey, Yufs!" Tifa sounded cheery. "Whereabouts are you?"

"In the bar, with Shelke."

"Good morning, Tifa," Shelke said.

"Hiya. Anyway...good news, we've found him."

Yuffie dropped her cup. It shattered on hitting the floor, but she ignored it as she leaned over her phone. "Is there bad news?"

"Hopefully not. He doesn't know we're here, so Barret's staying to keep an eye on the cave-"

"The _cave?!"_ Yuffie exclaimed. "We checked that cave, like, five times! Lucrecia's cave?"

"That's the one. Looks like he went back to it. We're coming back now to get you. I've phoned Cloud, so he should be at the bar soon."

Yuffie smiled widely, and clasped her hands. "Oh my god, that's amazing! Okay, I'll see you soon!"

"Bye, you two!" Tifa put the phone down.

Yuffie squealed excitedly. "This is brilliant! But I'm going to _kill_ him for not coming to us first!"

"Perhaps he was nearer the cave than Edge," shrugged Shelke. "Regardless, it is good to have him back."

* * *

 _It really is strange looking back on the past stuff I wrote. But it's about time I uploaded it anyway. Please let me know what you think._

 _Tia_


	2. Chapter 2

The _Shera_ arrived a good few hours later. By that time, Cloud and Nanaki had returned, and Denzel and Marlene had come back from school. Yuffie ran onboard before anyone else, practically jumping for joy. Cid had to remind her (with many, many curses included) that they hadn't actually collected Vincent yet. "Let's go get him then!" Yuffie squealed.

Shelke watched Yuffie from a small distance. _She loves Vincent. I wonder if she will tell him this. Most likely it would come out at an emotional point...and would he respond appropriately to this? He is a little ignorant of how to handle emotional situations...Hm. I will not interfere. This is her moment._

Yuffie made her way up to the deck, where she leaned over the railings with a groan, letting her arms swing in the wind. Her motion sickness never improved no matter what she did. Even thinking of Vincent wasn't helping.

The ninja was surprised she had even admitted to Shelke about how she felt for Vincent. She had never told anyone, not even Tifa, for fear she would be laughed at. _It would be a pretty odd pairing, I suppose, but I can't help how I feel. That hug he gave me just sealed it, that was it, I was gone, madly in love, but I'd liked him for a while before that._ She sighed softly. _I wonder how he would feel about me..._

* * *

Yuffie became so over-excited on the way to Lucrecia's cave that she made herself even sicker than usual, so Tifa insisted she take some medicine and go to sleep. She was completely out for the count by the time they arrived, and could not be woken up, so Shelke went up to the cave by herself to fetch Vincent, swapping places with an observing Barret.

She stood outside the cave, feeling a little nervous. _He may not want to be interrupted. Should I just wait for him to come out, or...?_ Turning away from the cave, she looked out at the shimmering lake that almost surrounded the cave. _No wonder he likes it here. It is a natural wonder. Lucrecia probably came to rest here for similar reasons, besides the isolation of the place._

Slightly metallic footsteps behind Shelke caught her attention and she knew the gunman had left the cave. Presumably he had heard the airship's rumble as it passed overhead. She waited till he was only a few feet behind her before addressing him by his full name, as she always did. She heard him chuckle, and only then did she turn around.

He was unmarked, unharmed, just as she had expected him to be. _Nothing hurts you, does it?_ she thought with amusement. His red eyes looked her up and down with mild surprise, taking in the fact that she was wearing a dress. "I don't know why they made me come up and get you," smiled Shelke.

"I'm glad they did," Vincent replied in his soft tone, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry to have worried everyone."

"They're all in the _Shera._ Come on." Shelke took hold of Vincent's arm so he could steady her as they made their way down carefully. "You can tell us all what happened when we get there."

"I'm sorry," Vincent said again.

"Do not apologise." Shelke's mobile started ringing, and she reached into her dress pocket with her free hand. She frowned at the caller ID, and held it to her ear. "You're awake."

Yuffie's hysterical voice yelled down the receiver, so loud that Vincent could hear. "You went on your own?! Why the _hell_ didn't you wake me up?!"

"We tried, Yuffie. And we failed. You took a copious amount of sleeping syrup and we found you on the floor of the cabins. You had not even managed to get into one of the beds."

"...Oh."

Vincent laughed at this, as it was quite typical of Yuffie to sleep deeply even without the aid of sleep syrup. He heard her gasp. "V-Vinnie? Is that you?"

Shelke passed the phone to Vincent. "Yes, Yuffie. It's me. Are you alright?"

"Oooh, you are getting the biggest cuddle of your _life_ when I see you!" Vincent smiled, taking that as a yes. "We're all waiting for you, Vinnie. See you in a few!"

There was a click as Yuffie put the phone down. Vincent passed it back to Shelke. "Same as ever, then," he remarked.

"Quite," replied the former Tsviet, putting the phone away. "She has been more worried than the others though."

"It doesn't surprise me. She is...rather close to me."

Shelke hid her smile at that comment, wondering how Vincent meant her to interpret it. They walked down in silence for the remainder of the trip, which took half an hour. The _Shera_ dropped a ladder as there was nowhere near the cave to land on. Vincent let Shelke go first, then climbed up himself.

The party, plus Denzel and Marlene, but minus Yuffie, waited on deck for him. Cloud reached a hand out to Vincent, helping him up, then clapped him on the back warmly. "Thought we'd never see you again," he said. "Thank god we found you."

"I'm sorry to have worried you all," murmured Vincent, looking round at everyone. Not one person wore an expression other than happiness or relief. Then he frowned. "Where is Yuffie?"

Cid gestured. "Below deck, still tryin' to wake up properly after doping herself up on sleep syrup. Kid's been pretty bad today, sicker than usual."

This made Vincent a little worried. "I should go to her...I will explain what happened at the cockpit, if this is agreeable." After the party gave their consent for this, they set off below deck to find Yuffie, with Vincent in the lead, wanting to make sure she was okay. _I don't like to hear that she has been worried about me. It pains me to hurt her, and everybody else._

They found Yuffie on her way to the deck, rubbing her eyes and dragging her feet a little. Hearing the multiple footfalls, she looked up, and her face split into a joyful smile. "Vinnie-!"

"Yuffie..." The pair rushed towards each other, meeting in a gentle embrace. They clung together for a few moments, then Vincent pulled away a little to scrutinise the young ninja. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

Yuffie's bottom lip trembled. "Never mind me, are _you_ okay?" she whispered. Looking like she would burst into tears any moment, Vincent drew her back into his arms, stroking her hair. "I though you were dead..." she choked.

"Hush, Yuffie. I'm fine. You need not worry yourself."

"But-"

Vincent slipped a hand under Yuffie's chin, bringing her up to look straight into his eyes. He was smiling at her. "Hush," he repeated, more playful this time. "You will make yourself sick again."

Yuffie found herself gazing adoringly into the gunman's deep red eyes. Being so close to him, the urge to plant a happy kiss on his lips was almost unbearable. But a load clearing of Cid's throat made them both jump and turn around. The pilot was tapping his foot impatiently. "Alright, alright," he exclaimed, "we're glad he's back too, but the vampire's got some explainin' to do, huh? Now move it, brat!"

Vincent glared. "I have asked you for three years not to call her that, Cid."

"Whoops. Sorry. Come on though, we wanna hear what went on. To the cockpit, methinks."

* * *

"...It took me some time to realise what was going on..."

Vincent was recounting what happened after Chaos defeated Omega. The party were all in the cockpit, sat back against the glass that opened the _Shera_ out to the skies. Vincent sat cross-legged in front of them, with Yuffie's head in his lap, as she had fallen asleep again after a fit of happy/hysterical crying. "I truly thought I had been killed in the efforts. I felt like I was floating, just moving slowly through some mysterious substance. The green glow around me was unfamiliar...I knew my body was somewhere, and my mind, or spirit, whichever, was somewhere else, but I could not figure it out. Piecing it together, I realised I was mortally wounded, and my spirit had entered the Lifestream, but had not been accepted just yet."

"You were dead?!" Tifa gasped, hands over her mouth.

"I don't know. It certainly felt like I was in a state of limbo. But then I heard a voice, and I wondered if somebody had discovered me. Then I realised it was a voice that had been silenced three years ago."

Cloud smiled sadly. "Aeris came to you, didn't she?"

"Yes. She told me how grateful the Planet was that I had saved it. As a reward, she and the Lifestream healed me of my wounds, and removed Chaos from my body. Whether this means my apparent immortality has now been wiped away too, I don't know, and it would take some time to know whether I have begun to age again, but Chaos is gone and will no longer trouble me...right now, that is all that matters concerning myself." He looked down at Yuffie and chuckled. "Aeris told me how you had all been looking for me. I felt quite happy to know this. I had no idea I was cared about so much."

The party looked highly shocked at this. "Don't be ridiculous," growled Nanaki in his deep accent. "Of course we cared, but you probably didn't notice."

"You _are_ a bit ignorant like that," Tifa chipped in.

"I'm sorry."

"Quit apologisin'!" Cid groaned. "You're turnin' into that crystal bitch of yours!"

"Ah...Lucrecia. I believe her spirit saved me as much as Aeris did. I am content now. I think she may have begun to forgive herself...and with it, so have I. It's time for me to start over, as a new man. I can finally put my past behind me, for I feel I have done all that needed to be done." Vincent looked up at the party, a determined expression on his permanently pale face. "What say you all?"

Everyone looked at each other, raising eyebrows and smiling. Cloud was first to answer.

"I can go with that."

"Me too," Tifa smiled.

"Sounds good," nodded Barret.

"Whatever makes you happy," said Nanaki.

"A new Vincent, huh..." Cid mused.

Yuffie stirred, murmuring something softly. Vincent leaned in to catch what she said. "I like the sound of that..." she whispered.

Vincent straightened up again. "Good. Well...and I cannot _believe_ I am asking this, but...I am going to need the help of the women here."

Tifa frowned, and even Marlene looked a little puzzled. "What's the matter?" Tifa asked.

Vincent ran a hand through his mane of black hair. "Well, to move on, I need a complete overhaul. So, um...I need a haircut. And new clothes."

A pin could have been heard dropping.

* * *

 _I personally couldn't ever imagine Vincent in any getup other than his cloak and his Turk suit! He_ is _super handsome though, so I bet he'd suit a lot of different stuff._

 _As always, please let me know what you think. I will upload more chapters if I know that people are enjoying the story so far!_

 _Tia_


	3. Chapter 3

It had been a rough evening for Vincent. He hadn't imagined the females present would get straight to work on him the minute he walked through the door of the bar, and so enthusiastically. Tifa and Marlene went upstairs to find out if anything Cloud didn't wear anymore might fit Vincent, and Yuffie promptly dragged the gunman to the kitchen, stuffed him in a chair, and brandished a pair of scissors. "Um...do you actually know what you're doing?" Vincent asked her apprehensively, suddenly quite aware of the fact he had ears that may or may not end up being snipped off.

"Yeah, I do my own hair all the time, and I've done Marlene's too." Yuffie was brushing his long raven locks gently to remove the tangles, and he had to admit it felt quite nice. His scalp tingled a little as Yuffie's hands ran through it, separating sections out. "You've got gorgeous hair," she told him. "Why would you want to cut it off?"

"I just feel I will have a whole new outlook on life if I change my appearance. The dark clothing and all the hair just make me think of the past, and I don't want that anymore." Vincent watched as Yuffie filled a glass with warm water, and fished a comb out of her bag. She dipped the comb in the water and got to work on his hair.

"So, you want it how it used to be?" she asked as she snipped. She was going by a photo that Cloud had found when he returned to the Shinra manor, which showed Vincent thirty-odd years ago, with Lucrecia and then head of the Turks, Veld. It sat on the tabletop, and she looked sideways at it occasionally.

Vincent nodded, catching a lock of hair as it fluttered down. "Yes, I think that suited me quite well."

"It looks cute."

"I...thank you."

Tifa and Marlene traipsed in some time later, both carrying a small bundle of clothing stolen from Cloud's wardrobe. "It's getting binned either way if it doesn't work on you," Tifa laughed, "it's all been sat in there for ages, and none of it would even fit round Barret's wrist, so..." She cast an approving glance over at Vincent, looking rather self-conscious with half of his hair gone. "Looking good. She doesn't do a bad job, huh?"

"We'll see when it's finished," he murmured. "I'm sorry for bothering you."

"Vincent Valentine, if you apologise one more time I'm going to stick those sabatons of yours straight up your ass, got it?"

Vincent gulped in response, and fell silent.

* * *

Celebratory drinks were flowing well into the night, to celebrate Vincent's return. The man in question was still being fussed over by Yuffie, smoothing out his clothes and neatening his new hair. Even he had yet to see it, as Yuffie had covered all the mirrors. "There," she smiled, satisfied. "Don't you look a hunk!"

Vincent blushed an uncharacteristic shade of pink. "You have to be kidding me."

"No, really. You look cool. It'll take some getting used to, but hey, you asked for a new look!"

"Thank you, Yuffie."

"Oh, it's no problem, Vinnie. I'll do anything for you, I'm just so glad to have you back." She gave him a hug, which the gunman returned without hesitation. She looked up at him, liking that she could see all of his face now. He gazed back at her, deep red eyes questioning. Their arms were still round each other.

Steeling herself, Yuffie stood on her tiptoes and kissed Vincent's lips gently. "Knock 'em dead," she whispered, pulling away. Giving his hair a quick ruffle, she left the room, blushing furiously. Vincent remained where he was, his brain trying to catch up with what he had just felt upon his lips. _She...kissed me. Why? How peculiar._ Shaking his head, he followed her into the bar, where he found her sat with Shelke in the corner, whispering and looking rather flustered.

He barely realised that every eye in the bar was on him; he'd only just remembered that his appearance had been completely changed. Yuffie kissing him had driven that straight out of his head.

Cloud wolf-whistled, then chuckled. "Scrubs up well!" Cid just gaped, insensate, while Barret gave Vincent an appreciative thumbs-up. Nanaki gave a short growl, which was his version of approval. Shelke just stared, not sure what to say.

"Worked our magic, didn't we?" Tifa smiled. "It really does suit you, Vincent."

"Thank you." He ran a hand through his hair, which now reached his chin in roughly chopped layers. A thick, feathered fringe fell casually into his eyes, and he fiddled with it almost nervously. "I must say though, I feel very out of place," he admitted.

"Cloud said the same thing when I cut his hair," laughed the martial artist. "He wouldn't let Yuffie within a foot of him with those scissors!"

Cloud shrugged and sipped his drink. "She did a good job on Vincent. I might have to consider letting her have a go."

"Oooh, I'm gonna cut it into a chocobo shape!" Yuffie giggled. Cloud's face went pale, and the party laughed.

Vincent sat down with the men, adjusting his new clothing, which he was definitely not used to. Cloud's cast-offs fit him quite well considering their height difference. Tifa had put him in a deep red shirt and blue jeans; the latter were a little tight, but Vincent was used to that from the leather he usually wore. Cloud leaned over the table and deftly unbuttoned the top of the shirt by two buttons, ignoring the gunman's splutter of surprise. "Trying to make you look casual, you idiot," he grinned, sitting back down. "Remember, I used to wear that thing. I know how to make it look good."

"Is that why you don't wear it anymore?"

"Dammit, the jokes just keep comin'!" exclaimed Cid loudly, to more laughter from the party.

After they had all calmed down, Tifa raised her wine glass. "Well, that aside, I think a toast is in order! To Vincent!"

"To Vincent!" the party echoed. The gunman could feel his cheeks burning, but he was smiling. _They really are glad to have me back._ He looked over at Yuffie, who met his eyes for a split-second, then looked away, biting her lip. _I suppose I should leave Yuffie be for a while. I'm sure it was just a spur of the moment thing..._

* * *

 _I'm aware that there's about five inches of height difference between Cloud and Vincent, but uh, let's just pretend Cloud once bought jeans that were too long in the leg for him. Yeah, that'll work. :P_

 _As always, please let me know what you think._

 _Tia_


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next few months, the party gradually dispersed. Cid went back to Rocket Town, Nanaki to Cosmo Canyon, Barret to the site where New Corel was being built, Yuffie and Shelke to Wutai and the WRO.

Vincent remained in Edge. He had no desire to return to his solitude in the basement of Nibelheim. For a while, he remained in one of the spare rooms above the bar, but eventually began to rent an apartment close by. He liked the new sense of responsibility and freedom, but it forced him to go out and interact with others, which he still felt uncomfortable with given his dislike of socialising. Many didn't recognise him from the new appearance, but for others, his eyes gave it away. The anonymity was quite welcome, as he did not want the fuss of being the new hero. Nevertheless, it was nice to know he was appreciated. Free of Chaos and his burdens...Vincent Valentine could finally begin life anew as a seemingly mortal being.

It was early morning, and Vincent was still in bed, awake, but too comfortable to consider moving. He had found himself thinking of Yuffie, who still popped into Edge every now and then on her WRO missions. Currently, she was in Gongaga, assisting the townspeople. She still hadn't told him why she had suddenly kissed him in Tifa's kitchen, and it had mystified him ever since.

 _She feels the same way I do? But...why?_

Vincent had kept it a close-guarded secret in the past, trying to hide it even from himself, but now, after the kiss, he could not deny how he felt about Yuffie. Being away from her for so long, he missed her company, and he had at first thought it to be just friendly feelings he held for her. But after she had kissed him, it got him thinking about how he used to be around her three years ago, what made him embrace her during Meteorfall. He had almost forgotten about it all.

 _I wonder if I should act upon it,_ he thought, rolling onto his back and rubbing his eyes. _There must be a reason why she kissed me, and three years ago, if that had happened, I would never have responded or started any form of romantic relationship with her, out of my love for Lucrecia and shame for my sins. But now...I wonder what would happen if I were to tell her..._

He consulted the clock beside his bed, sighed and pushed himself upright, sliding out from beneath the warm sheets. The last time Yuffie had been in Edge she had taken him clothes shopping, so he had a decent supply to fill his wardrobe. He flicked through it, considering. Despite saying that he wanted to stop wearing dark clothes, he realised that they suited him better than anything else. _It looks like there will always be a part of the past that stays with me..._

Sighing again, he picked out the red shirt he had received from Cloud, and plain black jeans. He had found the smart-casual look to suit him fairly well. Dressing and neatening his hair, he then fastened Cerberus, in its holster, to his thigh before heading out for the bar, which was five minutes down the street and would not be open to the public yet. All the former party had a spare key to get in, though, which Vincent used once he arrived.

"Who's that?" Tifa's voice called out from the kitchen. She poked her head round the door, and smiled at Vincent. "Oh, good morning!"

"Hello, Tifa. Where is Cloud?"

"Taking a shower, it's his day off." The martial artist wiped her hands and came into the bar space. "What can I do you?"

"It's a little early for me to be drinking," Vincent chuckled, seating himself at the bar. "I figured I needed to get out and about though. Maybe in an hour or two, hm?"

"Sounds good. Anything in the meantime?" Vincent shook his head. "Okay, no problem." Tifa sat herself on the bar, swinging her legs casually. "Have you heard anything from Yuffie recently?"

Vincent shook his head again, tapping the bar rhythmically. "I imagine she has been fairly busy in Gongaga. There's a lot to do there currently, last time I heard."

"Yeah, she's been on her feet constantly," giggled Tifa. "She sent me an email last week, said she's dropping by Edge for a few days!"

Vincent's head suddenly snapped up. "Oh?"

"Yeah...is there a problem?" Tifa leaned forwards. "You've gone pale."

"I think...I may need that drink after all..."

The martial artist rolled her deep brown eyes, but she was smiling as she scooted over to the other side of the bar. "Okay, sweetie, one moment. Usual?"

"Might need a double."

"There you go." Tifa slid a tumbler of scotch over to the gunman, who took a gulp and shuddered. "So what's up? Have you had a fight with her or something? You look very nervous."

"No." Vincent set his glass down. "I...I don't know how to explain it..." He looked up towards the stairs, noticing the sound of the shower running had stopped. Tifa followed Vincent's scarlet gaze, and waved a hand. "Don't worry about Cloud, he takes ages after a shower. Is there anything you want to tell me, Vincent? If not, that's fine. But if you do, you know I'm here, right?"

"I appreciate the offer, Tifa. However, I...I think I will wait till she arrives. When is that?"

Tifa looked over at the calendar. "Oh, in a few hours, I think!"

Vincent's eyes widened, and he took another hurried gulp. _I don't remember being this nervous in a long time._

* * *

Yawning, Yuffie slumped over her computer. Where it was morning in Edge, it was nearing midnight in Wutai, and she had been working away at headquarters non-stop since returning from Gongaga the previous day. She had to get ready to visit Edge, but she was exhausted and felt like doing nothing.

Shelke watched her, still managing to type rapidly on her keyboard despite not looking at her computer whatsoever. "Are you feeling well, Yuffie?" she asked.

"I'm fine," the ninja replied, "I'm just so tired...what I wouldn't give to have a nap now, but I need to get ready soon..." She yawned again.

"Will you see Vincent?"

"I suppose so..."

"And will you tell him how you feel?" Shelke looked back at her screen for a moment, then resumed typing. "I know that nothing came of your spur of the moment kiss, as you told me after it happened. I feel he would handle your revelation quite well, in my personal opinion. He did not seem angry or offended by your actions."

Yuffie uttered a moan of confusion. "It's just so embarrassing...I don't know what made me do it! Stood there, looking so damn cute..." she muttered. "I've got to tell him, I need to, or I'll go crazy."

"Then do."

"I will. I promise, I'll say something to him about it. I wanna go to his apartment anyway, I haven't seen it yet. I'll tell him there."

"Hopefully you will be coherent enough. I know what you can be like with that sleep syrup."

Yuffie chuckled. "Yeah, I'll try and lay off that, and just hope I don't get too sick."

* * *

Midday came and went, and Vincent did not move from his seat at the bar. He had drank no more, but his head felt fuzzy, as if he were intoxicated. When the clock read 13:30 he began to pace the floor, looking out of the window constantly. Cloud, who had been reading the newspaper quietly, frowned at the gunman over the top of it. Putting it aside, he headed upstairs, where Tifa was changing the sheets on the beds. "What's up with Vincent?" Cloud asked her in a low voice.

"I'm not sure," she said, plumping a pillow. "I think it's something to do with Yuffie visiting."

"Hmmm." Cloud checked his watch. "She won't be long now...depending on her transport."

"Plane. Takes about three hours if I recall, and she told me she'd be boarding at about midnight Wutai time."

"So that was nearly two hours ago. What's she doing while she's here?"

"Not sure at the moment, mostly visiting us, but she's probably got some business to attend to somewhere along the way." Tifa set the pillow down. "I thought they might have had a fight. You know, Vincent and Yuffie. But he said they hadn't, and they get on so well, so I can't think of anything else that would make him this nervous..."

Cloud shrugged. "It's Vincent. He's always got a lot on his shoulders that he won't tell us. There's always been something between those two...well, you can tell on Yuffie's part."

"Yes, I used to notice it every now and then." Tifa sat down on the edge of the bed with a sigh, and gestured for Cloud to join her. He did so, and she laid her head on his broad shoulder. "It's not our place to interfere, of course, but in the past I've seen the way she looked at him, talked about him...I mean, they _might_ just be very close friends. I've been mistaken before, after all."

"I doubt it." The swordsman put an arm round Tifa's waist. "I've always thought she had a thing for him. But she might have stolen my Materia if I'd mentioned it." He chuckled thoughtfully. "Well, whatever it is, it's no business of ours. And I feel bad leaving Vincent down there. I'd best go to him."

"I won't be long with these sheets," Tifa murmured, smiling. She got up to resume her work, and Cloud smiled back at her before heading downstairs to check on Vincent. The gunman had seated himself again, but had his head in his hands.

"Hey...Vincent." He looked up at Cloud's words. The swordsman looked sympathetic. "How about you go on home, we'll send Yuffie to you, okay?" He sat down beside Vincent and touched him on the shoulder. "I don't know what it is you're so freaked out about, but I'm sure you'll be fine once she turns up. Go out for the day, both of you. We can see Yuffie all we want tomorrow."

"...Why, Cloud?"

Cloud chuckled. "You two always were the closest out of all of us. Only fitting you get to be the first to spend some time with her." He gave the gunman a little shove. "Off you go, and get some spring cleaning done. I've seen the state of your bedroom enough times to figure you live like a teenager!"

This made Vincent smile, and he stood, giving Cloud an appreciative nod. "Thanks, Cloud. I guess I'll see you tomorrow if I don't come in for a drink tonight."

"Either way, have fun," replied Cloud. Vincent nodded again, and left the bar, biting his nails.

* * *

For once, Yuffie was not sick whilst aboard the plane. She had taken a few travel pills before the journey began, hoping they would help. What she didn't know was that Shelke and Reeve had swapped them for sugar pills, to see if there was any way of weaning her off substances to combat her sickness. With the amount of travelling she did for the WRO, and therefore the amount of medicine she needed, it was fairly expensive for the organisation! The placebo effect had definitely worked, and Yuffie was none the wiser, even when she landed in Edge, wondering why she didn't feel even just a little queasy.

 _Hmmm, best call Tifa and let her know I'm here._ The ninja dug her mobile out of her pocket and scrolled through it for the landline number to Strife Delivery, as Tifa had a habit of misplacing her own mobile and was more likely to answer the business phone upstairs.

"...Good afternoon, Strife Delivery Service."

Yuffie giggled. "Cut it, Tifa. It's me."

"Oh!" Tifa immediately dropped the professional manner. "Hi, Yuffie! Was your trip okay?"

"Yeah, much better than usual! Want me to come straight to the bar?"

"Hmmm." Of course, Yuffie could not know that Tifa was looking over her shoulder at Cloud, who was mouthing to her silently. "It's busy at present, we can't really give you a decent welcome...why don't you come in the evening and have a drink with us? In the meantime, I know Vincent's at home. I'll give you directions if you want."

"Ah, bummer. Yeah, I suppose that'd work. Where can I find him?"

"Keep going as if you're coming to the bar, but before you do, there's a side road on your left that's got a load of apartments down it. Vincent's is up a little metal flight of stairs, there's a red tiger lily outside the door."

The ninja spluttered a little at that. "Vinnie, with flowers?!"

"Marlene gave it to him as a housewarming present. He seems to like it. You'll be okay finding it on your own?"

"Yeah. Though I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed in you, Tifa!"

The martial artist laughed. "Sorry Yufs, it really is busy. I'll see you in the evening, alright? Bring Vincent with you."

"I'll be sure to. See ya later."

"Bye, sweetie."

 _Well, that's a bit...convenient,_ Yuffie thought as she put her phone back in her pocket. It wasn't often that the bar was busy at the current time of day, but it couldn't be helped, and she wanted to see Vincent at any rate. Shouldering her bulky bag, Yuffie headed off, still wondering why she felt absolutely fine.

 _I wonder what I should do,_ she thought as she walked, looking around constantly to make sure she didn't miss the side road. _Should I just tell him why that whole thing happened in the kitchen, or do I leave it and pretend like it didn't happen? He's probably still too attached to Lucrecia, whatever he says. Oh, why do I have to like this guy so much? Ugh. Damn you Vinnie, stop being so attractive!_ She could see the bar now, and the turning-off point that Tifa had told her about. _Bingo._ A little skip in her step despite her nervousness, Yuffie made her way down the road.

Sure enough, there was a red plant outside one of the doors, the only one that had stairs leading up to it. Yuffie silently thanked Edge for being surprisingly easy to navigate. She ascended the stairs, stopping outside the door, not to knock, but to kneel and inspect the tiger lily. Its petals a deep, bloody red, the leaves a waxy green, it stood tall in its pot. Yuffie touched the soil, finding it damp. _Awww, vampire Vinnie looking after a flower. How cute!_

She stood up, ready to knock, feeling even more nervous. It had been a while since she and Vincent had been alone together, but every time they were, she got butterflies in her stomach. _Well...here goes._

Raising a fist, she knocked gently. With Vincent's superhuman hearing, there was little point in making a racket.

Yuffie only waited a second before the door opened. Vincent, looking as handsome as ever, gave her a shy smile before standing aside to let her in. Yuffie dropped her bag on the floor, then threw her arms around the gunman, hugging him tightly. "I missed you!"

Vincent chuckled, rubbing the ninja's back affectionately. "I take it your trip went well then? You don't appear sick." He pushed her back gently to view her at arm's length. "I'm surprised. You look fine."

She smiled. "Yeah, I'm good, somehow." She indicated her bag. "Where should I put that? I wanna see round the place!"

"Um...just leave it there, I'll see to it. Have an explore, I don't mind."

Yuffie was pleasantly surprised at the interior of Vincent's apartment. She thought she could sense a little of Tifa, since she didn't think Vincent would be a man capable of picking out wallpaper to match his furniture. The living room and hall were decked out in creams, golds and browns, but the gunman's bedroom didn't surprise her at all. In stark contrast to the rest of the place, it was red and black, his two favourite colours, but the room was tidy, and when Yuffie touched the sheets, she smiled to find they were silk. _Either he knows his stuff,_ she thought to herself as she made her way back down the hall, _or he hired a really good interior designer._

Vincent looked up from the sofa as Yuffie breezed back in. He had been reading, but put the book aside to speak to his friend. "Having fun?"

"I like what I see, put it that way!" Yuffie plopped herself down beside the gunman. "And yes, I mean you _and_ your decorating." Vincent had the grace to blush, but said nothing. "So, what have you been up to without little ol' me around?"

Vincent ran a hand through his hair, pushing it away from his face. It had grown a little longer, and he had no idea how to cut it without amputating his ears with the scissors. "Not much, if truth be told," he murmured. "I have been struggling a little to adapt to normality, but with the days it seems to get a little easier. I'm grateful for that."

"Normality? You mean like, shopping, meeting people, girlfriends, that sort of thing?" Yuffie held her breath, but Vincent's expression did not change.

"Yes, yes and no." He shrugged. "There have been ups and downs, but I'm learning to adjust...oh, how rude of me. Do you need anything, Yuffie? A drink or something?"

She shook her head. "Nah, Tifa can mother hen me later!" Smiling, she slid an arm through Vincent's, resting her head on his shoulder. Though startled, Vincent laid his hand over hers, and they sat together quietly for a time, both wondering what to tell the other.

The minutes rolled by, but neither minded, enjoying the time they were spending together. Yuffie was vaguely aware that Vincent had slid his fingers through hers and was now holding her hand, but she welcomed it. _Does he feel the same way I do?_

"...Yuffie."

"Hm?"

"What would you like to do today?" His hand squeezed hers ever so slightly. Yuffie yawned, and the gunman chuckled. "Ah, the time difference between here and Wutai. I had forgotten. Would you like to rest first?"

"It'd be nice...but you've only got one bedroom..."

"The sofa folds out in any case, but I'm not using my bedroom at present, so you can sleep there. Come on." He stood, pulling the ninja up gently, and made their way towards his bedroom.

"What on earth would _you_ need a fold out sofa for?" Yuffie asked.

Vincent smirked. "It's come in useful when the Turks drop by. Reno has a habit of drinking too much and then falling asleep. Thus, the fold out sofa." He pulled back the sheets and gave them a quick inspection while Yuffie knelt to unlace her boots. "Yes, that's fine. In you hop, Yuffie."

The ninja giggled, standing up straight. She hugged Vincent again, nestling against him, glad when he returned the embrace. "Thanks for always being so good to me," she murmured. "I really don't deserve a friend like you."

"Yuffie..." Vincent stroked her cheek gently. "Everyone deserves someone that will care of them. You know I care for you, don't you?" She nodded into his chest. "Good. Don't believe otherwise. I'll always be here for you, Yuffie."

"You're so sweet..."

"Well..." Vincent chuckled softly. "Only for you." The ninja looked up at him, into his honest red eyes, and Vincent found himself gazing into her deep brown ones. Before she could lean in and kiss him, he shook his head and pulled back. "Get some sleep now," he said, letting go of Yuffie, who looked a little indignant. Rolling her eyes, she clambered into the bed and pulled the sheets up to her chin. Vincent smirked at her, and left the room, shutting the door quietly behind him.

* * *

 _If Vincent appears a little OOC in his nervousness, I apologise. I suppose when I wrote this I was going off personal experience! In any case, we don't know how he would react around a person he likes, considering the last person he loved ground his heart into dust. Lucrecia sucks for that._

 _As always, please let me know what you think._

 _Tia_


	5. Chapter 5

Yuffie woke a few hours later, feeling much refreshed. Yawning and stretching, she sat up, the silky sheets falling away from her body, she consulted the time. She had only been sleeping for around two hours. _Not so bad,_ she thought, swinging her legs out of bed. _Don't wanna appear rude. Hmmm, I wonder what Vince is up to..._

With another stretch, she stood up and went to the door, opening it and listening out for the gunman. _Quiet...but then again, I wouldn't expect anything else from Vince._

Yuffie headed down the hallway, and found him in the living room, stretched out on the sofa with an old book, but he looked up at her footsteps. A flicker of a smile curved his thin lips. "Did you sleep well, Yuffie?" he asked.

"Oh my god, yes." As she approached, Vincent pulled his legs up so there was room for her to sit down. "That bed is _amazing._ Where did you get it?"

"I don't know," the gunman chuckled. "Tifa helped with most of what you see here."

"Even the tiger lily?" she teased.

"No, that was Marlene."

"I was told, I'm just kidding with ya." Yuffie gave him a soft punch on the arm. "So, what are we doing today?"

Vincent sat up, putting his book aside carefully. He brushed his fringe out of his eyes and stretched his arms, cramped from reading. "Well...I want to go to the bar later, but until then, we can do anything you want."

"What would _you_ normally do, Vince?"

He blushed a little. "I tend to just wander out on my own...take in the sights and be calm."

"Awww...that's cute." Yuffie leaned forward and clasped his hands. "Can I come with you? I wanna see what you see."

"Yuffie, I...I hardly think you'd find it interesting."

 _"You're_ interesting though." At this, Vincent blushed a deeper red, and looked away. "Please?" she begged, pulling a pleading face. "For me?"

The gunman watched her bat her eyelashes for a moment, thinking how adorable she looked when she did that. Hair still tousled from sleep, she was the most desirable thing he had ever laid eyes on. He gave in, and nodded. "Okay, Yuffie. We can go now, if you feel up to it."

"Yeah, let's go, let's go!" She bounded up and pulled Vincent to his feet. "Oh wait, I left my boots in your room..." The ninja dashed off, leaving Vincent to shake his head in amusement as he got ready to go out.

She returned a few moments later, boots on. Vincent was looking out of the window with a morose expression. "Looks like it might rain," he said over his shoulder.

"Then we'll just go out for a little while," Yuffie smiled. She was already at the door. The gunman sighed and followed her out.

Yuffie was quiet for a time. She understood Vincent more than the others did, and knew that when he lapsed into silence, he preferred it that way. The gunman had a thoughtful look on his pale face as they walked through the steely streets of Edge. Hands in his pockets, he looked almost relaxed, a stark change from the stiff, brooding man he had been not so long ago. _I wonder if he still holds onto anything from the past,_ she wondered. _Everyone does, but Vince more than others, it's always been that way. I'll chat to him tonight about it._

Surprisingly, it was Vincent who spoke first. "Do you have a place to stay tonight, Yuffie?"

"Well, I was gonna stay with Tifa, but..." She flashed Vincent a wink and batted her eyelashes again.

Rolling his crimson eyes, Vincent uttered a short chuckle. "You may stay with me as long as you're here," he told her. "What's mine is yours."

"So I get to steal your bed then?"

He laughed softly. "Maybe." They kept walking, falling silent again. Along the way, Yuffie's hand accidentally brushed against Vincent's as she increased pace a little to keep up; the gunman's swift reflexes caught and held it, not roughly. And he did not let go. He and Yuffie were walking hand in hand, and neither truly cared if anyone saw.

 _This is amazing!_ thought Yuffie, trying to stop herself from jumping for joy. _Vince is holding my hand! And I'm at his place tonight, and we're having drinks later...hmmm, this is going to be a very fun night indeed..._ She looked sideways at Vincent, who caught her gaze, giving her a gentle smile and a squeeze of her hand.

The monument of Meteor came into view. It had been built in Edge's city centre as a reminder of the destruction it wrought, and the hope that rose from the broken remains of Midgar's citizens. Yuffie smiled at it. "Just can't ever get away from the past, huh?" she said to Vincent.

"I agree," he murmured, eyes downcast. Then he looked back at the ninja. "Let's take a break. We've walked a while."

They sat down at the foot of the monument; it was only then that Vincent finally let go of Yuffie's hand, but when she laid her head on his shoulder he rested his own head against hers, messy black to messy black.

"I never thought I would be back here," Vincent said softly. "After Omega, I truly thought I was dead. Fortune saw fit to smile upon me when Aeris found my spirit in the Lifestream."

"I'm glad she did." Yuffie nuzzled Vincent. "You're my closest friend. I'd go crazy if you weren't here."

"I feel the same way about you, Yuffie. I never would have come out of my shell as much as I have done if it weren't for you."

She blushed and smiled bashfully. "Thanks, Vince." They fell silent for a minute or two, before Yuffie piped up, "Vince, can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

"Shut it. Will you tell me about you and Lucrecia? You know...in the past? What you were like."

The gunman's eyes widened a little. Yuffie had always brushed off anything to do with his former love, so this was a surprise. "I...why do you wish to know?"

She shrugged. "I guess it's something about you I don't know. And I can't stand not to know the real you."

Vincent closed his eyes, thinking where to start. Quietly, he recounted, "I was employed by Shinra when I was twenty-one. My father had been working for them for quite some time, so it was easy to get me in there too. I worked my way up, and was a member of the Turks by the age of twenty-five. It was another two years until I was assigned to Lucrecia's side...most likely it was the work of my father."

"What was your father called?"

"Grimoire. He and Lucrecia discovered the Protomateria, and with it, Chaos."

"And what was Lucrecia like when you first met her?"

Vincent smiled. "Oh, I already knew her through my father, but not particularly well. I had always acknowledged her as beautiful and clever, but as I saw more of her, I fell in love with it. There was always something she was thinking about, and it would pain her not to be able to find the answer to it, so she threw herself headfirst into her work, with such determination. I was in awe of her."

"Did she love you back?"

Vincent opened his mouth to speak, but then shut it again, gazing at his lap. "It's unlikely. We were very close, but I doubt she felt anything for me but friendship. However, we..." He closed his eyes again, "we did engage in acts that mere friends would not partake..."

Yuffie sniggered. "You slept with her?"

"Twice," nodded Vincent. "My father would have raged if he found out, so we kept it a secret. The first time, we had a day off, so Lucrecia and I went out for a walk. She had brought along a picnic basket, and we sat under the trees and had an enjoyable time." He bit his lip a little as he remembered. "We were sat rather close together, and when I laid back on the grass, she did the same. I...I couldn't control myself...I kissed her, but she kissed me back...She let me atop her, and we..." He exhaled shakily. "Well, you get the picture."

Yuffie giggled. "I certainly do. What about the time after that?"

"Much less enjoyable. She had been crying over the death of my father, and I was comforting her. We were in her office, and I chanced a kiss on her brow. I had no intention of anything else as she was so vulnerable at the time, but...she begged me to make love to her. Said she needed me. And...I couldn't refuse her, not then. All my resistance just washed away, and we ended up in some strange situation on her desk. I hated it, but I loved it. Even now I wonder what on earth happened that day...it's all a bit of a blur."

Vincent sighed. "After that, she avoided me. I didn't know why then, but now, from everything that has happened, I know she felt responsible for my father's death, and saw too much of him in me. All I did was make it worse for her. Then...she ran to Hojo, and Sephiroth was conceived." He dropped his head onto his bent knee, uttering another sigh. Yuffie watched him with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"At first I worried that the child Lucrecia carried might have been borne of my seed...I did not use any protection the times I was with her, and the baby...the baby was being _experimented on_ before it was even born! Had it been mine I would have ripped Hojo limb from limb, but...the dates added up more accurately between him and Lucrecia. I could breathe a sigh of relief, but the experiments still disgusted me."

"You wanted a child?"

"Not desperately, but I had been alone much of my life. A little responsibility and love would have gone a long way for me back then. I never saw much of my father as a child, and my mother died when I was an infant."

 _I'm practically hearing his life story,_ Yuffie mused. _I thought he was interesting anyway, but this...wow! I wonder who else he might have said this to?_

"Did Lucrecia let you near her while she was pregnant?" she asked.

Vincent nodded. "Yes, she started speaking to me every now and then, but sometimes she had no choice, as she was in so much pain from the Jenova cells she and her child had been injected with. Hojo despised me, hated the fact I was with her, helping her. It was probably one of the reasons he shot me, with other reasons too, mostly my interference with his twisted schemes. That day was...the last day I ever saw her..."

"Oh...Vincent..."

"I remember being on the floor, blood pumping out of my chest, and...and vaguely...I can remember her running in, turning me onto my back, examining me...She was crying, I could feel her tears on my face, but I couldn't move, I was dying, choking on my own blood..."

Vincent was shaking a little now. "...All she could say, over and over, was that she was sorry. I counted four times before I died in her arms."

"Vince..." Yuffie gripped his arm. "That's horrible. You don't remember anything after that?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I only know the rest from the files I read recently."

Yuffie decided to stop asking questions now, for Vincent was pale and shivering despite the warmth of the day. She nestled a little closer, winding her arms round him. It took a few seconds for him to respond, but when he did, Yuffie felt little butterflies in her stomach fluttering madly. "I'm sorry for asking you all that," she murmured.

"It's fine." Vincent stroked the ninja's hair affectionately. "Some things have to be said, and I've never spoken of that to anyone but Shelke, and even then only the bits she needed to know for compiling data. Only you know that I took Lucrecia's innocence."

"I'm a bit shocked!" she confessed. "It's hard to imagine you in that sort of situation. Sometimes I still think of you as that brooding vampire, but then I remember you wanted to change all that, and you know what, you have! You're so different now."

"Is that a good thing?"

"It's nice, it just took some getting used to."

"Thank you, Yuffie." He held her tighter, pressing his face into her black locks. His heart was pounding after telling her everything, and how close he was to her. She had one of her hands just below his throat, and her thumb was stroking his collarbone, head still on his shoulder.

After a few minutes silence, Yuffie said softly, "I'm not Lucrecia. I won't run away from you."

"I know you won't." Vincent pulled back just a little, and brought Yuffie's face up so they were gazing at each other. Red eyes met grey, and neither could look away from the other. "Even if you tried, I would not let you."

"Is that a challenge, Mr Valentine?"

"Hardly, Miss Kisaragi...rather, a declaration of extreme affection...some might call it love."

"You-?" Yuffie gasped. "I...I don't know what to-"

"Don't say anything," the gunman whispered, drawing closer. "Just...follow my lead..."

Yuffie had not expected Vincent to initiate the kiss, but she welcomed it nevertheless. His lips, though thin, were warm and soft, and she returned his ministrations eagerly, quickly turning the kiss passionate, but keeping it slow and gentle. She sighed as his hand slid through her hair, coming back down to cup her cheek.

Vincent pulled back after a few moments, his expression soft, at ease. He tugged Yuffie sideways into his lap, and she snuggled into his chest. No more words were needed.


	6. Chapter 6

Seventh Heaven was bustling by the time Vincent and Yuffie turned up, around half past eight. Denzel was cleaning the bar and looked up as he heard the doors open. His blue eyes widened at the sight of their linked hands, and he quickly retreated into the back to find Tifa, who came hurrying out with a similar expression. Yuffie dropped Vincent's hand to give Tifa a hug. "Hey, Tifa!" she squealed.

"Well, _someone_ seems happy!" Tifa giggled, patting the ninja on the head. She looked over to Vincent, who just shrugged. Yuffie released her, and went back to Vincent's side. Tifa looked back and forth between them, smiling. "Come on, let's get you both a drink." They sat down at the bar, and Denzel, knowing them well enough by now, quickly got their preferred drinks while Tifa sat on the edge of the bar, swinging her legs. "How was Gongaga?" she asked Yuffie. "Reeve's been too busy to contact us recently."

"I enjoyed it," Yuffie smiled. "We were setting up alternative fuelling for them, and the ruins of the reactor are being moved away. Zack's parents were quite pleased to see us."

"How are they getting on?"

"Oh, just fine. They've adopted a little boy who lost his own parents. He's cute, I saw him a few times." Yuffie sipped her drink. "I'm only here a few days, then back off to Wutai. Tons of paperwork to do, usually Shelke does it for me but she's got a lot to do as well. Hey, never mind me, how've things been here?"

"Oh, same as ever!" Tifa giggled. "Denzel's been learning to manage the bar, as you can see. Saves me a little bit of work."

"Where is Cloud?" Vincent asked.

"Changing the barrels downstairs, he won't let me. Reckons I'll strain my back or something." She uttered a short laugh. "And don't you two look cosy! What happened here then?"

Vincent blushed and looked away, but Yuffie piped up, "We just kissed, it's nothing massive. I'm not here long anyway, so...I don't know what's gonna happen."

"Oh, that's a shame. You seem perfect for each other."

"I get stationed in Edge so much I might ask if they can set me permanently here. Might as well, since it'd save the WRO a load of money ferrying me back and forth."

"I'd like that," murmured Vincent. "I always hate it when you leave us."

"And why's that?" she teased.

The gunman shifted in his seat, refusing to meet the ninja's gaze. "Because...I...because I love you, Yuffie. I always have."

She practically leapt a foot in the air. "It's not even a recent thing? You never told me, after _three years?!"_

"You never told _me_ either!" Chuckling, Vincent put an arm round her shoulders. "I do hope they'll let you stay here."

"Me too," she said softly, calmed by his touch. They shared a kiss while Tifa giggled like a schoolgirl in the background.

By that time Cloud had come upstairs from changing the barrels, and stood there with a dazed expression, watching two of his friends engage in 'tonsil hockey,' as Cid would call it. After a few moments, they broke off and noticed the blonde swordsman. "Um, hi Cloud!" Yuffie waved. Vincent just blushed again.

Cloud came over and ruffled Yuffie's hair. "Hey, Yuffie. What did I tell you about getting drunk and kissing people?" She spluttered indignantly, and he laughed. "I'm just messing. You holding up alright?"

"Yeah, course. Just catching up with Tifa. Sit down! I wanna talk with you too!"

* * *

After a few drinks and a good catch up, Vincent and Yuffie left the bar near midnight, the latter being a little tipsy. Vincent kept his arm round her waist to steady her as they walked, and he had to help her up the steps to his apartment. "I don't remember you being such a lightweight," he chuckled.

"I'm not, normally!" she pouted as Vincent unlocked the door and ushered her inside. "I think Denzel gave me something stronger this time."

"Excuses," he smirked. He set Yuffie down on the sofa, flopping down beside her. "Are you tired?" he asked, putting an arm round her shoulders. Yuffie shook her head, nestling close to Vincent. "And...are you really going to ask to be stationed here in Edge?" he added.

"Yup," she replied. "Like I said, it'll probably benefit most of us. Saves the WRO a load of hassle, I get my jobs done quicker...and besides, I want to spend more time with you..." She leaned up to kiss Vincent's cheek. "I had a really good time with you today, Vince. I want more days like today. Many more."

The gunman looked down at the young ninja, with her earnest smile and slightly unfocused eyes. "Are you saying you want a relationship, Yuffie?"

"Well, yeah...I guess. I cried so much when you went missing...I realised then that I loved you. Please don't take that from me now, not when you've confessed to loving me too...!" She clutched Vincent and buried her head in his chest.

Vincent stroked her hair and held her close. "I will not take anything from you," he assured her. "If you want a relationship, that's fine by me. I'm flattered you appreciate me so."

"I always have done," Yuffie murmured, lifting her head up to show her eyes appeared tearful. "You always respected me, even if the others didn't. When I ran off with the Materia they all shunned me for a week, but you stayed by my side and told everyone off for being mean to me. Remember how they only stopped when I cut the word 'THIEF' into my arm?"

The gunman shuddered at the memory. Distraught at the thought that the party would never forgive her selfish antics, Yuffie had 'borrowed' Cid's hunting knife and carved her inner arm so that blood spurted everywhere, soaking her clothes and anything nearby. Vincent had been on the verge of a panic, but managed to staunch the bleeding, believing she had been attacked. It was only when he started to clean the blood off Yuffie's body that he saw the damage she had inflicted upon herself. The party had been horrified, and Vincent did not speak to them for a full week, keeping Yuffie close by and letting nobody near her.

"Did the scars ever fade?" he asked, gently grasping her arm and turning it over. A few silvery lines were all that remained.

"The healers at Wutai gave me salves to put on it. It looked really ugly till then."

"Do you remember how angry I was at everyone?"

Yuffie nodded sadly. "It was horrible to watch. I've _never_ heard you shout or even raise your voice since, and you shouted a _lot_ then. But I knew you were protecting me...and I was so grateful. You even let me in your tent that night, didn't you?"

"I believe so. You cuddled up to me at some point, claiming you were cold..." Vincent flashed her a suspicious look. _"Were_ you cold?"

"Um...hehe..." Yuffie smirked. "Only a little. I just wanted to get close to you. But speaking of cuddles..." Pulling Vincent in for a kiss, the ninja tugged him down so they were lying side by side on the sofa.

They continued to kiss, confidence boosted by alcohol. The gunman's hands wandered over Yuffie's back and shoulders, sliding down to stroke her arms and back up to cradle her cheeks in an uncharacteristically tender gesture. Their positions switched, with Yuffie pulling Vincent atop her, parting her legs so he could rest between them comfortably. He broke away from her lips to trail them down her neck, gently kissing and nibbling. The ninja sighed, closing her eyes, enjoying the sensations. "Tell me, Vince..." she murmured, "besides Lucrecia, do you have any experience?"

"Hm?" Vincent ceased kissing her neck and looked up. "No, I'm afraid not. Why?"

"Just wondering..." She kissed him again. "How vocal were you?"

Vincent's eyes widened at the question. "I-I don't know, it wasn't something I paid attention to..."

"I bet I could make you loud," Yuffie whispered in his ear. "I know you want to, I can feel you pressed up against me..." She reached down, a small hand cupping the painful bulge in Vincent's trousers. He inhaled sharply, though he could not take his eyes off her. "Well, because it's you, this _could_ be just a gun in your pocket...I might just have to check..."

"Y-Yuffie-!" Vincent groaned as she massaged him. "We...we shouldn't. You've had too much to drink, and-"

"So what?" she crooned. "I'm not drunk. I just want to play." She leaned up and gently bit his earlobe. "You've never had a woman in that bed of yours, have you? Let me be the first."

Her seductive whispers proved too much for Vincent to bear, and he stood from the sofa, pulling Yuffie to her feet too. "I hope you know what you're doing," he said as they hurried for the bedroom.

Yuffie giggled, reaching the room first. She jumped onto the bed and lay back against the pillows, gazing across the room at Vincent with lust smouldering in her eyes.

 _She must have done this before,_ thought Vincent as he hesitantly joined her on the bed. _There is no other explanation, and she is not as drunk as she first appeared to be. I only hope I won't hurt her._

Leaning over her, Vincent kissed Yuffie's parted lips gently, vaguely aware of her small hands unbuttoning his shirt, caressing the warm, scarred skin that lay beneath. Vincent kissed down the ninja's jaw and to her neck, where he nipped at the base before continuing to kiss downwards, between her breasts and finally to her stomach. Brushing his lips over the flat expanse, he pushed her vest up, exposing a lacy black bra covering pert, definitely desirable breasts. Yuffie pulled the vest off as Vincent just gazed down at her in wonder. "Beautiful..." he whispered.

Yuffie giggled and pulled him in for a deep kiss. "Glad I showed up then?" she asked.

"I could not have held out much longer," he replied, nuzzling Yuffie's slim neck. "I didn't realise just how much I desired release until now. Truly, I am grateful that you will share my bed tonight."

"So much for that fold out sofa."

"A woman of your calibre deserves more finery."

And with that, he slipped a hand into a bra cup, pleased to find a good handful. Yuffie hummed contentedly as Vincent massaged and squeezed her, pulling down the other cup with his free hand. She moaned and closed her eyes, feeling the gunman's mouth close over a nipple, tongue lashing at the hardening bud. Hands tangling in Vincent's hair, Yuffie arched her back in pleasure.

 _She responds so perfectly,_ Vincent thought, sitting Yuffie up so he could remove her bra, and she his shirt. _My first time with Lucrecia was wonderful, but nothing like this. Thirty-three years without sex...I think most men would drop dead._

He was jolted back to the present by Yuffie's warm lips upon his neck as she undid his trousers, freeing his arousal. "I see you never did start wearing underwear then," she murmured, stroking him.

Vincent bit his lip, breathing erratically. "Y-You knew?"

"I know many things," she smirked. Her hand was moving faster now, rendering Vincent incapable of coherent speech; only the occasional grunt of pleasure slipped out. She was drawing him closer to climax, he could feel it, and he was bucking into her hand and panting, but he needed more. So he reached down, fingers closing gently round Yuffie's wrist, and pulled the hand away. She looked at the gunman quizzically. "I'd best not get too excited," he chuckled.

Comprehension dawned on Yuffie's face, and she smiled and nodded, letting Vincent pull off her shorts. "We're being ever so naughty, aren't we Vince?" she giggled.

 _I mustn't hurt her,_ Vincent reminded himself as he teased the prize that lay wet and warm between the ninja's shapely legs. She writhed and shuddered, gripping the bedsheets with trembling hands.

"Vince..." she gasped, "oh, there...oh my god..."

She cried out loudly when he pushed a finger inside her, and then another, moving them in and out lazily while stroking his aching arousal with his free hand. He couldn't help it. Yuffie Kisaragi lay naked on his bed, and he wanted her more than anything in the world.

Yuffie glared at him in annoyance as he removed his fingers, only to slip them into his mouth.

 _You taste wonderful, my love._

Swiftly removing the fingers, he dropped down so his head was between Yuffie's thighs, tongue lapping at and massaging her wet folds. Yuffie bit down on her hand to muffle her noises, but soon Vincent worked her into a pleasured frenzy and her hand fell away to grip the bedsheets instead. The wonderful sensation of his tongue sliding against her and his fingers dipping back inside was enough to catapult her into an explosive orgasm within minutes, the resulting scream the most delicious thing Vincent had ever had the honour of hearing.

When Yuffie ceased shaking and panting, he lay back atop her, kissing her gently. "Are you sure you want this?" he asked her quietly. "You can refuse me if you wish."

Yuffie shook her head. "No...I want this." She ran her hands over the gunman's chest, tracing his scars, aware of the hard, throbbing object pressed against her.

"I might not be able to hold back."

"I don't want you to," the ninja whispered. "Do what you like to me."

Vincent came completely undone at that last comment, and, taking himself in hand, he carefully entered her, holding her steady with his free hand. He fought the urge to groan loudly as thirty-three years of suppressed feelings flooded back, making him quiver above his lover, who gasped as she felt herself fully filled. Too worked up to even consider taking it slow, Vincent established a fast rhythm from the start, head buried in Yuffie's shoulder, the ninja's legs locked firmly round his waist, arms encircling his back. Her nails scratched the pale skin, leaving raised red marks, but Vincent didn't mind the pain. It felt good, reminding him of everything he had fought through to get so far with the beautiful young woman he was now making love to.

One of Yuffie's hands wandered up Vincent's back, running through his hair and gripping it tightly. The gunman lifted his head up to see Yuffie's eyes half-closed in pleasure, mouth open as she panted softly. He kissed her soft lips, the lower swollen from her biting it hard. "I love you," he whispered.

She smiled and attempted to speak, but a particularly rough thrust from her lover sent her head flying back in pleasure as she cried out, all notions of speech fled from her mind. Vincent was close, he didn't want to be, he wanted it to last forever, but he couldn't hold on...kissing Yuffie again, he groaned against her lips, releasing inside her.

They continued to kiss gently for some time, then Yuffie gave Vincent a slight push to her right, and he pulled himself off to collapse next to her, breathing heavily and eyes closed. The couple cuddled up close, sharing each other's naked heat, basking in the glow of their lovemaking.

After a few minutes, Yuffie giggled. "Well, after that, if Reeve doesn't let me stay here I'm gonna kick his ass and then some!"

"You enjoyed it then, I take it?" Vincent propped himself up on an elbow.

"One point for Captain Obvious," the ninja replied, rolling her eyes, but she was smiling. "Of course I enjoyed it. I see the years without haven't dampened your skill."

"Um...thank you." Lying back down, Vincent gathered Yuffie in his arms and kissed her brow. "Like you, I want many more moments like today. If the WRO will not permit you to be stationed permanently in Edge, I will fight for you like I fought for Lucrecia, like I fight for all those I love."

"Vince..." Yuffie smiled gently. She rested her head on his muscled chest, listening to his heartbeat. "Let's get some sleep now, huh?"

"Will you be able to after your nap earlier?" asked Vincent as they slid under the covers.

Yuffie squirmed happily at the soft silk that encased her form. She nodded, yawning. "Yeah, you wore me out!" They settled back into their previous positions, tiredness beginning to set in. "Don't you be having any nightmares on me, okay?"

"I think I can guarantee I will have sweet dreams tonight," he assured her before closing his eyes. "Goodnight, Yuffie."

"Night, Vince." She closed her eyes also. "Love you."

"I love you too. Sleep now, little one."


End file.
